Agroporc (Friselva Group), a leading company in the agri-food sector, has launched a pioneering project at the Can Ribas farm (Sant Martí Vell) with the technological and engineering support of Solventa6, which carried out the conceptualization, design, and installation.
This initiative combines a photovoltaic plant with a battery storage system and advanced energy management.
The objective was to address a very common challenge in rural areas: the energy dependence of critical facilities, often located in areas with weak and unreliable electrical grids. These environments usually depend on diesel generators, with the associated high costs and pollutant emissions.
This project not only solves that problem but also establishes a replicable model for the entire sector, combining energy efficiency, operational improvement, emission reduction, and environmental commitment.
The implemented solution provides measurable and transformative benefits:
1. Utilization and management of photovoltaic energy
Before the installation, the farm consumed around 950 kWh per day, mainly from a diesel generator, as the grid was insufficient to meet growing demands. This resulted in:
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Dependence on fossil fuels.
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High economic costs.
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Constant emissions of CO₂ and other pollutants.
With the new installation:
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Daily demand is reduced by 550 kWh, allowing operation with only grid support and avoiding generator use.
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This means 73 MWh of annual savings, equivalent to 58% of external consumption.
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Solar energy is maximized thanks to battery storage, which allows covering non-solar hours.
2. Autonomy
Most farms depend on diesel generators to ensure service continuity due to inadequate supply.
This installation has virtually eliminated the need to use them.
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65,700 liters of diesel saved annually — practically down to zero.
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Tens of thousands of euros saved each year on fuel and maintenance.
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Major environmental improvement (see emissions section).
3. Operational resilience
Modern farms are highly dependent on electricity due to the electrification of multiple systems — climate control, ventilation, feeding and watering automation, sensors, etc.
Any power outage can cause production losses, affect animal welfare, and require costly restart processes. Their remote location also means poor service quality and frequent outages.
Each supply interruption implies complex restart processes and impacts animal welfare.
With this solution:
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Power outages no longer affect operations, thanks to the battery storage system.
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The diesel generator is no longer needed, saving costs and emissions.
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A stable and continuous power supply is ensured. The installation of a Static Transfer Switch (STS) enables automatic and instantaneous source switching with no supply interruption.
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Reduces both energy and human effort during such incidents.
4. Grid stability
Efficiency extends beyond the farm to benefit the broader electrical system.
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The applied solution reduces not only energy use but also smooths consumption peaks, contributing to grid stability.
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Smart energy management absorbs consumption peaks and shifts demand to more favorable times, drawing power when the grid has excess supply and self-consuming during peak demand.
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This helps stabilize the public grid during the renewable energy transition.
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Widespread adoption of this approach would be key to ensuring grid stability across Europe.
5. Future prospects
This system will contribute to flexibility and active demand management services once regulations allow, significantly enhancing the usefulness and profitability of storage.
Use of renewable energy
The installation is designed to make full use of solar photovoltaic generation. Thanks to storage:
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Renewable energy is not only used at production time but throughout the entire day.
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Each solar kWh replaces a diesel or grid kWh.
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The farm becomes a real-life example of improved renewable energy self-sufficiency in rural areas.
CO₂ emissions reduction
Previous dependence on diesel generators caused high emissions. With their near elimination:
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Annual CO₂ savings: 176.1 tons — equivalent to removing 120 combustion cars from the road for a year.
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Other pollutant particles from diesel combustion are also eliminated, improving air quality and health.
This demonstrates that even moderate-scale installations can significantly reduce environmental impact.
Sustainability policies introduced by Friselva
This project was made possible through a clear corporate sustainability strategy:
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Real energy transition: shifting from fossil fuels to green, renewable electricity.
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Smart energy management: adapting consumption patterns to maximize self-consumption and reduce external dependence.
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Commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): especially SDG 7 (Affordable and clean energy), SDG 12 (Responsible consumption and production), and SDG 13 (Climate action).
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Alignment with the EU “Fit for 55” strategy: actively contributing to emission reduction and modernization of energy infrastructure.
These policies position Friselva and Solventa6 as committed leaders in sustainability and innovation in the agri-food and industrial sectors.
Cybersecurity measures
As a critical infrastructure involving communication and digital control, robust measures ensure system security:
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Principle of minimum information: only essential data for control are transmitted.
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Encryption and data protection: all transmissions are encrypted to prevent intrusions.
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Servers located in the EU: hosted in Frankfurt, ensuring compliance with European data protection and cybersecurity regulations.
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Future readiness: compatible with secure communication protocols required by grid operators, enabling participation in flexibility markets once regulations allow.
This ensures the installation is not only efficient and sustainable but also digitally secure and resilient.
Impact and next steps for Friselva Group
This project is much more than an energy installation: it is a transformative pilot paving the way for the energy transition in rural and agro-industrial settings.
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Applied innovation: the combination of photovoltaics, batteries, and smart management is proven effective and replicable.
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Scalability: the model can be applied to other farms, factories, and facilities with similar challenges.
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Social and economic impact: lower energy costs strengthen competitiveness and animal welfare.
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Brand value and leadership: Friselva positions itself as a sustainability pioneer, with Solventa6 as a reference technological partner.
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Regulatory future: the system is ready to participate in flexibility markets and smart demand management, essential for the future European energy system.
In summary, this solution combines immediate results with long-term vision, proving that sustainability and profitability can go hand in hand.
